The second practice is that of the early Christian communities — they reread and retold large portions of the Old Testament in light of their experience of Jesus. They searched and “found” the new in the old and the old in the new. The Elijah/Elisha stories from 2 Kings are a fine example — they mesh so well with some of the accounts of the ministry of Jesus. The authors of the Gospels retold the stories of the wonder-working holy man from Israel’s distant history to illuminate Jesus as someone intimately connected with that history and tradition. In a sense, the Elijah/Elisha stories became the backdrop or pattern for much of the New Testament narrative. In the story from 2 Kings a man brought some loaves of barley and some grain to Elisha, who promptly told the man to feed the crowd. He demurred, pleading that so little could not possibly feed so many. Speaking on God’s behalf, Elisha insisted that not only would they all eat but that there would be leftovers — and it was so! Elisha challenged the man’s all too human negativity and fear in the face of lack. With God and with faith all things are possible.

The author of Ephesians describes perfectly what that life of faith is like. It is characterized by humility, gentleness, patience and love — not the qualities championed by our culture, or for that matter, not always by religious groups either. The exercise of these qualities is what unifies us in peace by means of the Spirit. We should not be looking for peace or unity where they are notably absent. The final unifying element is the oneness of God, creation and humanity. God is present for all who seek justice, meaning and compassion. God can be sought and found in all things, all situations and all people.

In John’s reappropriation of the Elisha story, everything was bigger and better — after all, Jesus was far more than a prophet or holy man. The offered food was meagre in comparison to the Elisha account and the waiting crowd enormous. There were 12 baskets of leftovers. John’s account is far more than a miracle story. First of all, it was a test of his disciples to see if they really understood what he was about — and they didn’t. Secondly, it was a recapitulation of Israel’s desert journey in which they were fed by God but at the same struggled with doubt and fear. In this chapter it was clear that God was Israel’s sustainer — and now Jesus was continuing that compassionate sustenance in a very personal way. Finally, gathering up of scattered fragments so that none would be lost was a veiled reference to the scattered children of God whom Jesus has come to save (see 11:52).

John’s account contains a panorama of theological teaching stretching from the time of Elisha to Jesus, and all of it still valid. The “takeaway” from all of this: the fear and competition that humans engage in with regard to food, resources and even God is unhelpful and unnecessary. We should not talk ourselves into failure or shrink from challenges. We should not be frightened by what we think of as “lack” — faith in God’s provident care coupled with generosity on our part can overcome all.